no, non sono SAturno
winding road
September 2006, Issue #13.0
But that was before Asian engineers turned their thinking a literal 180 degrees, mimicking the Germans and switching some of their hottest sedans to rear-wheel-drive.
And with the arrival of the 2002 Infiniti G35, the BMW 3-series?that haughty class benchmark?has met its fiercest challenge yet. Faster, roomier, and more affordable than the BMW, the '02 Infiniti fell short only in prestige, luxury, and purity of handling.
Five years later, the second-generation G35 takes aim at BMW's ever-advancing target: the latest 330i, with its iconoclastic styling and six cylinders nestled in a unique magnesium-aluminum-composite block.
The BMW is as brilliant as ever. The Infiniti, meanwhile, sets the standard among the toughened competition, matching the 306 horsepower of the Lexus IS350 while delivering a more connected driving feel?and again, the back seat of a true midsized sedan.
Our introduction to the 2007 G35 came in the Berkshires, the mountain playground of western Massachusetts that's a short V-6 cannon shot from Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. Following a stop at the Tanglewood Festival, where the summering Boston Symphony offered up Mozart's Requiem, it was time to answer the question: Would this be the 3-series' funeral?
The Infiniti engine certainly suggests as much. With an extra half-liter and precisely 20 percent more horsepower than the 330i, the Infiniti?s redesigned 3.5-liter V-6 feels more broadly muscular than before, especially in its upper register. That strength comes through in a smoking 5.2-second run from 0 to 60 mph, a significant eight-tenths quicker than the BMW. From there the Infiniti surges to an electronically limited 133-mph top speed.
Take the wheel of the G35, and the benchmarking aims of its engineers become abundantly clear: From the sculpted shape to the pleasing weight and taut, on-center feel, there's a bit of homage to BMW going on. The strengthened chassis and redesigned suspension are equally impressive, settling quickly over bumps and transmitting few shudders to the cabin even with the eighteen-inch summer tires affixed to G35 Sport models.
To its credit, Infiniti continues to offer a precise six-speed manual shifter, though the clutch take-up feels more abrupt, requiring some practice to master. The five-speed automatic is competent but unspectacular: no problem in full automatic mode, but somewhat hesitant when shifted through the manu-matic console lever or the Sport model?s magnesium paddle shifters.
The cabin is the car's most striking visual upgrade. The former model's drab and plasticky interior is gone?say goodbye to those cheesy, Halloween-orange gauges?replaced by an acceptably luxurious design with cues drawn from the pricier M sedans. Aluminum trim features the crackled finish of Japanese washi paper, but it?s the optional low-gloss African rosewood that creates the richest effect. Seats are also improved, deeply bolstered with pneumatic controls for both torso and thigh supports.
And while we're here to judge the on-road entertainment, the G35's optional Bose "Studio on Wheels" audio system deserves mention: With audiophile-level components, including pricey Burr Brown digital audio converters, it delivers an amazingly precise, spacious sound.
A lapping session at Lime Rock let us sample every flavor of G35, including the all-wheel-drive G35x. Here at America's oldest?and likely bumpiest?road course, the hot setup for enthusiasts became quickly apparent: a G35 Sport model with four-wheel active steering. In addition to the firmest suspension settings, this option features rear wheels that turn slightly counter to the direction of the curve. Up front, the rack-and-pinion unit mimics BMW's active steering; a planetary gear-set increases the steering ratio to boost cornering reflexes at modest speeds, then dials it back to improve high-speed stability. On both the track and public roads, the steering and suspension combined to limit body lean and understeer, with less negative effect on steering feedback than BMW?s optional system.
As before, the G35's brakes are notably strong and fade-free. They're due to get even better: A revised system with four-piston front calipers will wait for next year?s 2008 model, shortly after their introduction on an all-new G35 coupe.
A long, fun day with the G35 had us thinking that the gap with BMW had finally been closed. Then we drove the 330i?and were reminded all over again of why this car has sustained its edge in the face of relentless competition.
More than ever, the 330i feels as though the steering and suspension are made from sinew and ligament rather than metal and rubber. The car is no longer the fastest in its class, yet the 3-series feels supple and alive in a way that Infiniti and other rivals haven't quite figured out.
At slightly more than 3400 pounds, the BMW weighs only about fifty fewer than the Infiniti, but it feels more like five hundred. The BMW is certainly the smaller car, nine inches shorter than the Infiniti, and it suggests even more compactness from behind the wheel. Even when speeds climbed, we could place the BMW in its lane with microscopic accuracy.
As noted, the 255-horsepower six with Valve-tronic variable valve lift isn't as powerful as the Infiniti's. Yet, it feels and sounds richer and more sophisticated, emitting a subdued growl as it spins toward its 7000-rpm peak. The six-speed manual shifter is as delightful as ever, and the six-speed Steptronic manu-matic is among the best of its kind. Four-wheel ventilated disc brakes feature self-drying rotors and a hill-holder function for smoother starts on grades.
The integration of those ideals?chassis and suspension, engine and brakes, shifter and clutch?creates a sport sedan whose performance isn't suitably expressed through skid-pad numbers and acceleration times. Out in the real world, the BMW will keep pace with many more-powerful cars and deliver more satisfaction in the process.
The BMW's cabin also remains a cut above. The 330i expresses the essence of great design, managing to look at once uncluttered and simple yet beautiful and expensive. The view is airy, the seats superbly formed and positioned. You can even skip iDrive, pretending it never existed at all. Only the new push-button start, which requires the redundant step of inserting the key, carries a whiff of gimmickry.
If the BMW still has advantages in luxury, prestige, and handling, you'll pay dearly for all of them. Well-equipped models with sport or premium packages quickly rise to $43,000 and beyond. (In its defense, BMW combines class-best resale value with four years of free scheduled maintenance, a perk that other luxury brands have walked away from.)
In contrast, the G35 can be had for closer to $34,000-$37,000, making it the genuine bargain of the class. Money aside, the Infiniti is a piece of work. The BMW is a work of art.
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